Lap-roll for carding-machines



(No Model.)

W. E. SHARPLES.

LAP ROLL FOR CARDING MACHINES.

No. 494.600. y Patented Apr. 4, 1893.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM E. SHARPLES, OF FALL RIVER, MASSACHUSETTS.

LAP-ROLL FOR CABDlNG-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 494,600, dated April 4,1893.

Application tiled October 14, 1892. Serial No. 448,858. (No model.)

To all whom if may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. SHARPLES, a citizen of the United States,residing at Fall River, in the county of Bristol and State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lap-Rolls for Carding-Machines; and I do declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to theletters of reference marked thereon,which form a part of thisspecification.

My invention relates to lapping machines, and among its objects are tofacilitate the removal of the lap from the machine, to prevent injury tothe lap, and the Waste of cotton, and to insure better results iusubsequent treatment of the cotton.

In oneof thestages of the manufactureof cotton cloth,the cotton is woundin Ilakes upona roll called the lap roll, which is mounted removably inthe lapping machine. When the roll is full, the mass of cotton, or lap,must be removed from the roll, for transfer to another lapping machine,or to the carding machine as may be desired. The common way of doingthis is to first pull the rollout of the lap. The operative then putshis hands into the ends of the hole in the lap, lifts it off themachine, and stands it up on end on the licor. A small Wooden or ironroll or skewer is then thrust down through the hole in the lap to enablethe lap to be carried away, and to support it when being unrolled in themachine to which it is transferred. But when the lap roll is pulled out,the cotton, being no longer supported, presses in toward the center andpartially closes the hole left by the lap roll. This closure is furtheraggravated by the handling to which the lap is subjected. Theconsequence is that when the small roll or skewer is thrust into thelap, which is from thirty six to forty four inches long, the end of theroll is very liable to catch on' the inside of the lap, tearing outportions of it, and breaking and disarrangin g the layers, thus wastingthe cotton, and producing uneven yarn. My invention removes all thesediculties.

It consists in a lap roll, havingalongitudinal hole, and a small roll orskeWer loosely section.

received within said hole, so that the lap roll can be pulled out of thelap and off from the skewer and leave the latter inside of the lap,ready for service, and without any disturbance of the lap.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a perspective View of a lap ofcotton on alap roll embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view ofa portion of a lapping machine, showing the lap roll partly in section.Fig. 3 is an end elevation and Fig. 4 is a cross section of the roll andlap. Y

The lapping machine Ais of any usualconstruction, having vertical openbearings a to receive the journalsb at each end of the lap roll B, whichmaybe provided at one end with a head h to facilitate its remov-al fromthe lap C. Passing longitudinallyinto or through the roll is a hole,preferably circular in cross It may be central as shown: or eccentric tothe center: or it may be a groove extending toward or to the center, asindicated in dotted lines in Fig. 4. Loosely received in the hole is asmall roll or skewer D, which is long enough to project beyond the lapat each end.

Means are provided for retaining the skewer in place, so that it willnot be removed with the lap roll when the latter is pulled out of thelap. This may consist of a latch engaging with a groove or a collar onthe skewer.

In the drawings is shown a groove d in the skewer which is engaged bythe opposing edges of the blades E E', the latter being hinged at e, andheld up against the skewer by a Weight, or a spring as F. The edge ofthe bladeE is vertical, so that the blades vremain in engagement withthe skewer as the latteil rises with the increase in the size of thelap. When the lap roll is full, it is pulled out, to the left in Fig. 2,leaving the skewer in the lap, the blades preventing it from axialmovement. The lap can then be easily and safely removed and transferredto another machine, by means of the skewer, so that the d'iliicultiesheretofore existing at this stage of the Work are thus entirely avoided.

It is obvious that if desired the skewer need not be inserted into thelap roll until the latter is full and ready to be removed: and that insuch case, the holding devices may not be needed, since the skewer canbe inserted by.

IOO

one operative and held in position by him while another removes the laproll.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

l. The combination with a frame, of a lap roll jonrnaled in openbearings in said frame, and having a longitudinal hole, a skewer looselyreceived in said hole, anda detachable fastening device attached to saidframe and serving to hold the skewer from axial displacement, but torelease it when the roll is lifted from its bearings, substantially asdescribed.

2. The combination with the frame, of a lap roll journaled in bearingsin said frame, and having a longitudinal hole, a skewer received in saidhole, and a spring latch secured to the frame and engaging with saidskewer, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof l afx my signature in 3 5 presence of IcWoWitnesses.

WILLIAM E. SHARPLES. Witnesses:

ABBA N. LINCOLN, CHARLES L. FooTE.

